chris kreider
Photo Credit: AP

On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading, Darren Dreger noted that the Rangers and Chris Kreider are going to engage in contract extension talks, but Dreger believes that Kreider will still be traded by the Rangers before the deadline. Dreger also noted that the Rangers are willing to absorb 50% of Kreider’s $4.625 million cap hit to facilitate a trade.

The Blueshirts absorbing 50% of the the remaining 3-4 months of the contract is really a no-brainer and a non-issue, since the Rangers don’t have cap space concerns and absorbing 50% likely increases the return. This is just common sense, as the Rangers have done with a lot of their deadline deals in the past.

As for an extension, this all begins and ends with Kreider’s demands. The rumors are that Kreider could sign for seven years and $7 million, or at least that’s what he could get in the open market. Those are certainly educated guesses, but one never actually knows until the contract gets signed. This will be the soon-to-be-29-year-old’s biggest opportunity for a pay day.

Aside from demands, it seems like the biggest concern is Kreider’s age. Aside from his speed, which naturally will take a bit of a hit as he ages, Kreider’s biggest asset is his net-front presence. That skill likely ages quite well, especially since Kreider is still as strong as an ox. While the aging concerns are there, and we will get into that in a later post, I think they are slightly exaggerated.

Regardless of skill set or aging, it all comes down to dollars and cents. Kreider’s demands will dictate his future in New York. Until then, we wait and see.

Share: 

Mentioned in this article:

More About: